~*~Together~*~

Summary:
Co-Written with ObssesiveCullenDisorder
>>Banner By Me<<
Bella, Alice, Rose, Adrie, Emmet, Edward, Jasper and Jake have all grown up to be the best of friends...
However...
Alice has Jasper... Jake has Adrie... Rose has Emmett...Bella and Edward have... Well, they have a strong friendship.
But would this all change if one of them feels differently towards the other?
[Sequel to ~Baby Twilight~ *You don't have to read it first =D*]
[[Chapter 13 is being validated ...Bella's POV... ]]

Notes:
This is the sequel to Baby Twilight!!!
Do you have to read BT before this story? No...not really, but it would probably answer some questions you might have in the future...
...Co-Written with ObssesiveCullenDisorder !!! Thanks so much for wanting to co-write this story with me *hugs*
Disclaimer: Any recognizable character/setting/etc belongs to SM. The rest belongs to us : ]

13. Kiss and Run

When I asked Edward whether he was going to the dance, he winked, and told me he already had plans that night.

My first thought was, “Why is Alice making me go to the dance while Edward get’s to skip?” Childish, I know. Then I thought, “What will Edward be doing that night that he won’t be able to make it to a dance with the gang? Must be important…”

I was mad, irritated, furious, enraged, and as much as I hate to admit it, upset. Usually, Edward and I would go to these kinds of functions together. Going alone was never an option in the gang, and he was the logical choice for me. Why was he leaving me in the lurch? Although I wasn’t technically going to be by myself at the dance, my secret admirer could all be a joke that someone planned out…

Alice dragged me over to the Cullen mansion hours before the big dance. Apparently, hair and makeup were crucial tonight. Alice locked me and Adrie in her white and gold torture chamber she liked to call a bathroom, and began to unpack the supplies. She trusted Rosalie enough to get ready on her own. Why did I have to suffer?

For the next four hours, Alice came at us with weapons of mass destruction like the eyelash curler, foundation, and blood red lipstick. I had to admit, the finished product was rather nice…but I’d never tell her that.

Alice and Rosalie both wrestled me into my dress, making sure the curls didn’t touch the silky fabric. They also had to help me down the stairs. Stupid four-inch heels!

As I was about to open the door, Alice said, “Wait. There’s one more touch for you, Bella.”

Turning around, I spotted black velvet gloves in her hands. I’d never know Alice to do gloves, but whatever suited her fancy was going to have to be tolerated by me.

At the dance, I stood in the middle of the floor, looking around thinking I was never going to find him. There was no way I would find him in this crowd.

An “anonymous” donation had allowed the Forks High prom committee to secure the only nice place in town for the dance. The building had a view of the water on one side, and the forest on the other. The committee had done their best, stringing Christmas lights all around the white gazebo in the garden, and around the perimeter of the dance room.

Maybe I should just stop looking. My secret admirer probably realized what I was really like, and changed his mind. After all, there was nothing special about me. Or this could all be a distasteful prank.

The dance was a masquerade. I was surrounded by people hiding behind masks of every kind. There were elephant masks, and snow queen masks, and I even saw a Phantom of the Opera mask. Most of the rest seemed to be run of the mill. While some opted to wear hilarious long-nose masks, mine was one of a kind.

My mask was a simple silver one. You would think I would get something more unique from my secret admirer so he would be better able to recognize me. I’d thought this upon opening the package, but now I could see that the sender had a lot of wisdom. Everyone else’s masks were extravagant, and mine stood out like a sore thumb.

I approached the food table and saw that the rest of the gang was twirling around in the middle of the dance floor.

Alice and Jasper spun around in circles as if they were the only two people on earth. I was afraid they would bump into another couple but to my surprise, they didn’t.

Rose and Emmet danced so gracefully, that it seemed as if they were floating around in the clouds.

Even Jake danced fluently as he spun Adrie around, and dipped her down to steal a kiss. It must have been all of those ballroom lessons Alice had forced him to take freshman year…

I wish I was as graceful as my not-so-human best friends. I, Bella swan can barely walk in a straight line without tripping over air. Sometimes it can get rather frustrating.

Sighing, I looked once more around the room to see if I could spot this mysterious person. My eyes found what they were looking for almost instantly.

“It has to be him.” I whispered to myself.

There, by the rather corny ice sculpture, he stood with a pink freesia in his lapel as he had mentioned in the note. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Something about him made me nervous to no end, but then again that funny sensation in my stomach was sort of exhilarating.

Without noticing what I was doing I began to walk toward the mysterious man. It was like my mind and body weren’t connected anymore.

I was so anxious that I didn’t even hear myself say “Hi,” to the mystifying man. I don’t think he heard me either because he didn’t reply.

I took a deep breath and continued, “So, I take it that you’re my mysterious secret admirer?” I asked half joking, half curious.

He nodded in response and held his hand out for me to take it. I complied and moved closer to him without hesitation. Suddenly my fears were gone. I didn’t even know this guy, yet I felt that I could trust him with my life.

A slow song began playing, and I tried my best amid my muttered ramblings to warn him that I wasn’t a good dancer. Somehow, he managed to make me dance as gracefully as he did.

It reminded me of how Edward and I danced during Lauren’s party. Then, it had felt as if the whole world was only Edward and me, and all the other people were merely statues. What was I doing? Here I was, standing in front of a man whose notes had captured my heart, and all I could think about was Edward? What was wrong with me?

The man twirled me around the dance floor making me feel so beautiful and graceful. I only felt like this when I danced with...

No Bella! You can’t think about that now. The voice in my head scowled.

The way Edward smiled at me…the way he knew every single little detail about me…The way he protected me from every danger, even my own feet...

I was so caught up telling the little voice in my head about Edward; I couldn’t stop. Next thing I knew mystery guy and I were merely centimeters apart. The song had been replaced with another. I breathed in his scent and felt dizzy. It was so familiar, yet I didn't want to admit that this could be...

“Edward?”

How could I not have noticed? It was obvious. His smile. Everything he knew about me. The way he cared for me. The way he made me feel. Of course his eyes where the most obvious clue of them all. Why hadn’t I noticed the color of his eyes before?

I wanted to make sure I was right, so I did the only thing I could really do. I had to see with my own eyes that he was indeed who I thought it was. Before I could remove his mask, his strong hands captured mine. With our hands clasped, he removed his mask to reveal the man I had expected.

It was Edward.

We kissed.

I, Bella Swan was kissing one of my best friends Edward Cullen!

I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout. I wanted the butterflies to stop fluttering inside my stomach. I wanted my heart to stop beating so fast. But it was impossible.

I wondered if this would ruin our friendship. Well, that was a concern for another day. Right now, I didn’t care.

My eyes fluttered closed, and I was too caught up in the moment to notice how he encircled my waist with his strong arms pulling me toward him. I placed my arms around his neck and pulled him toward me. The only thing I could concentrate at the moment was Edward and nothing else.

We pulled apart too soon for my liking, but I really needed air. I lazily willed my eyes to open and met a pair of warm gold ones gazing at me.

I wanted to say something. Anything. But I couldn’t bring myself to break the spell. I was just so... overwhelmed. There were so many things going through my mind right now. So many things I wanted to say…

Edward gave me one of his trademark crooked smiles, and my heart began to beat wildly once again.

“Bella, breathe.” Edward whispered as he caressed my cheek with his thumb. I didn’t even realize that I was holding my breath until he told me.

Maybe I was just waiting for him to say he didn’t want me, or it was only a kiss. After all, why would he fall for me? I was a friend. Ordinary. Plain. Simple.

All too soon, our moment was interrupted by someone I was growing to really detest.

“Edward!” Lauren squealed, “There you are! I was looking all over for you!” She made her way toward us and I moved away from Edward, but was impeded in my flight.

“Don’t go.” He voiced, almost pleading.

“Oh. Hi, Bella.” she looked at me, and turned to Edward. “You promised me a dance and you aren’t leaving until I get one

“I-” Before he finished I was out of sight. Tears threatened to spill over, but I didn’t want anyone, especially Edward and Lauren, to see me cry. I quickly walked through the ocean of masked students dancing around and made my way to the staircase where I found Adrie.

“Bella are you ok?” Adrie asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine...Just need some air.” She only nodded, but I knew she didn’t believe a word I said. We’d known each other too long.

I walked into the courtyard and felt my tears run freely down my face. Alice was going to kill me for ruining her makeup job. Suddenly, I literally bumped into someone.

“Sorry.” I managed to say, swerving my way around the person. I felt a hand grab my wrist. I turned around about to scowl at the person. The face I saw shocked me.